Neck Pain Articles – Activa Clinics |

What is Osteopathy Treatment

November 25, 2020

by Activa Clinics Chiropractic Articles Massage Articles Neck Pain Articles Physiotherapy Articles

What is Osteopathy Treatment?

Osteopathy treatment is a non-invasive therapy that aims to improve the patient’s overall health instead of treating a specific illness or group of symptoms. This is because symptoms occurring in one area of your body can be linked to a problem occurring elsewhere. It is based on the principle that your physical and mental well-being relies on your nervous, circulatory, and lymphatic systems working well together.

Osteopaths use manual therapy such as massaging, stretching, and manipulating the musculoskeletal system to diagnose, treat, and prevent injury or illness. It can also be used to complement traditional medicine.

Benefits

Whether you’re injured, have unexplained pains and stiffness, or suffer from health conditions associated with aging – our osteopaths can help to restore your overall health so you can feel like yourself again.

When it comes to your wellbeing a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. Our osteopaths will assess your condition and provide a personalized treatment plan after determining the health of your joints, ligaments, and tissues. This is often done by examining your body’s structure, mobility, and the areas you are experiencing pain or stiffness.

Osteopathy helps to reduce pain, improve mobility and blood circulation as well as increase lymphatic fluid drainage.

Osteopathy is often used to treat chronic pains (neck, back, and shoulder), headaches, migraines, arthritis, digestive issues, sports injuries, and other musculoskeletal conditions.

Some other ways Osteopathy can help you improve your health are:

Reducing muscle tension
Correcting poor posture
Relieving stress
Promoting better sleep
Managing hormonal changes during pregnancy

Most patients start seeing results from our treatment after the first session. However, depending on the severity of your condition, it can take 3 to 4 sessions to feel the benefits of the therapy. Osteopathy treatment isn’t an instant cure but a gradual process where your symptoms are reduced over time until you return to full health.

At Activa Clinics our team of multidisciplinary health care providers collaborate together to provide our patients with the better outcomes through physical care as well as availability of mental health solutions.

Our osteopaths are also trained to check for signs of serious health conditions and will advise you if you need to see your physician.

Some work place health plans cover Osteopathic treatment. Call us to book your appointment.

Self Massage Tips for Tension Relief

November 5, 2020

by Activa Clinics with No Comment Massage Articles Neck Pain Articles

Take Care of Yourself with These Self Massage Techniques

You probably know that massage therapy offers many benefits. It can help relieve stress, improve circulation, reduce pain, restore flexibility, improve sleep, and more.

The best way to take advantage of these benefits is by visiting a registered massage therapist. They have the expertise to identify your health issues and the best types of massage to treat you.

However, between your visits to a professional, there are some simple self-massage techniques you can use whenever you need them.

Face

Massaging certain areas of the face can help when you feel a tension headache coming on. Using your fingertips, apply gentle pressure and make small circles along your hairline, at your temples, above your eyebrows, around your cheekbones, and the sides of your jawbone.

Another technique for releasing tension from the muscles in your head is to apply pressure to the bridge of your nose. When sitting, rest your elbows on a desk or table and interlace your fingers. Then lean forward and rest the bridge of your nose on your thumbs, so that your thumbs are holding the weight of your head. Hold that position for between 30 seconds and one minute. These techniques should leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed.

Feet

This technique is great for dealing with foot pain due to overuse. Sit in a chair and put a tennis ball (or another round object like a water bottle) on the floor. Place a foot on top of the ball so it’s under the arch of your foot. Then start rolling your foot around to apply pressure and stretch different areas of the foot, including the arch, heel, and toes. Keep going for a few minutes before switching to the other foot.

This technique stimulates and stretches the foot muscles and improves circulation.

Lower Back

This self-massage for treating lower back pain is another technique where your trusty tennis ball will come in handy. Stand with your back to a wall and place the ball in between the wall and your lower back. Start moving your body from side to side and up and down until you find tense muscles.

Once you locate a tender area, push your back into the ball to massage those muscles with stronger pressure. The pressure should be strong enough to squish the ball a bit, but not so strong that you feel pain. Also, avoid massaging the spine because that has the chance of causing an injury.

Neck and Shoulders

Tension in the neck and shoulders can contribute to headaches and make it difficult to perform even simple tasks. It is often the result of poor posture. To overcome neck and shoulder issues, start by using one hand to squeeze the base of your neck from behind. Then slowly work your way upwards, squeezing and releasing along the way. Next, rub the base of your skull with both hands, moving your fingers in a circular motion. Continue that motion while moving back down the neck and along both shoulders.

Wrists

Pain, tension, and injuries in the wrists are common because they can be caused by simple repetitive motions that you probably perform regularly, like typing at a computer. To avoid these issues, you should take regular breaks and do some quick stretches and massages.

Start by laying one hand, palm side up, on top of your thigh. Then use your other palm to apply pressure to your forearm and slide it towards your wrist. You should use enough pressure that you feel some heat from the friction, but not enough to feel pain. Do the same motion starting at your palm and moving over the mound of your thumb, and then again from your palm to your fingertips.

Next, grasp your wrist with your thumb on the inside, as if you were taking your pulse. Then apply pressure side to side across your wrist. This will release the tension and can help prevent serious wrist issues before they start.

Some Final Tips

While these techniques can provide some immediate relief, to get the full benefit of massage, it’s good to make it part of your regular routine. That’s because solving muscle tension and injuries takes time.

And remember that the best solution is to get some help from a professional. Whether that’s getting treatment from a massage therapist or creating a fitness plan with the help of a physiotherapist, these specialists can help choose the right treatments for your unique issues and needs.

Ergonomics: Working from home tips

October 30, 2020

by Activa Clinics with No Comment Chiropractic Articles Massage Articles Neck Pain Articles

Is working from home bad for your body?

Contrary to popular belief working from home can be just as challenging as working at your office. You can develop bad posture if your workspace isn’t set up ergonomically to accommodate sitting for long periods of time in front of a computer. For instance, using your laptop in bed or sitting hunched over at a coffee table can cause curvature of your spine and neck. This can result in neck, back, wrist pain, or worse – long term injury.

There are many factors that contribute to creating a comfortable workspace including, correct chair height, proper lumbar support, sufficient equipment spacing and good desk posture. All of these elements work together to keep your body correctly aligned.

Pain relief tips

Here are some tips that can help you reduce your pain if you’re unable to modify your workspace:

Use good posture: The image above is an ideal guideline of what good posture looks like at your workspace. The key to good posture is ensuring that you maintain the natural curvature of your spine. Your neck, shoulders, and hips should be aligned in a vertical line with your feet resting flat on the floor.

Take breaks regularly: When you’re sitting in one position for too long your body can become tense and strained. Therefore it’s important to take regular breaks that involve stretching and moving around at least every hour. This will help you reduce eyestrain and muscle tension.

Use a back brace: A back brace can be used to prevent back pain and improve your posture by keeping your spine and neck aligned. This is useful if your chair doesn’t provide adequate support.

Chiropractic Care: Chiropractic care is used to reduce back pain, correct the body’s alignment, restore range of motion, and improve flexibility. Chiropractors use spinal adjustments, manual therapy, and other treatments to keep your body’s systems working the way they should.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture is used to reduce chronic and acute pain. This is done by inserting very thin needles through a person’s skin at specific points on the body. Besides pain relief, it is also used to treat a variety of conditions such as high blood pressure, insomnia, and anxiety.

TENS treatment: TENS is a non-invasive treatment that reduces the pain signals being transmitted to your brain and spine. It works by sending small electrical impulses through your nervous system via adhesive pads attached to your skin. It is suitable for persons suffering from back-pain, neck-pain, and sports injuries.

Relieve your Neck Pain with these Techniques

December 19, 2019

by Activa Clinics Neck Pain Articles

Neck pain is a common issue. That’s not surprising when you consider how much time most people spend hunched over a desk, a smartphone, or a steering wheel.

It’s often caused by a strain in the neck muscles due to poor posture. However, there are many types of pain that can affect your neck, and there are even more possible causes.

Sometimes it’s a sign of an injury or serious condition and will need medical attention. Other times it’s normal, such as a dull pain at the end of a long workday. This guide will help you tell the difference between the two, and teach you some simple techniques to get neck pain relief.

When to see a pro

When you’re wondering if you need professional help for your neck pain, here are some signs to look out for.

The pain started after an injury
The pain lasts more than a week
The pain is severe
The pain prevents you from performing your normal activities
The pain is accompanied by other symptoms like headache, weakness, and pain spreading to other areas

These symptoms show that your neck pain might be caused by more serious conditions like a pinched nerve, herniated disc, or arthritis—and that you should seek help. There are many options when it comes to getting treatment from a medical professional. Physiotherapists, chiropractors, and massage therapists are just some examples of the healthcare providers who are experts at dealing with neck pain.

On the other hand, if it seems like your dealing with a run-of-the-mill muscle strain, here are some simple neck pain remedies that you can do yourself.

Stretch it out

Here are a few simple stretches you can do pretty much anywhere, including while seated at your desk or in the car. When stretching, keep your moves slow and smooth, and stop once you start to feel the stretch. In other words, avoid pushing it too far!

Touch your ear to your shoulder ten times on each side.
Roll your shoulders in a circular motion, six times forward, then six times backward.
Lower your chin towards your chest, and hold for about 20-30 seconds, then slowly raise it back up.
Tilt your chin up towards the ceiling and hold for about 10 seconds, then slowly lower it back down.

Cool it off, heat it up

Applying ice to your sore neck can act as an anti-inflammatory. It reduces both pain and swelling. On the other hand, heat is useful for relaxing stiff muscles.

One thing to keep in mind is you shouldn’t use heat continuously, as that can increase swelling. So if you’re using heat, apply it for 20 minutes at a time and take breaks, or alternate between heat and ice.

Sleep well

Getting enough sleep is important for so many aspects of your health, and neck pain is no different. Proper sleep is an essential part of the healing process, and when you don’t get enough sleep it can actually make your neck pain worse. This can lead to a vicious cycle where your painful neck prevents you from sleeping, and your lack of sleep makes your neck worse.

One way to break the cycle is to get yourself a cervical neck pillow. These pillows are specially designed to properly support your neck. They keep your neck and spine in a neutral position which will help with healing. Having your neck properly supported is also very comfortable, so a good cervical pillow will help you get to sleep.

And one more tip when it comes to sleep is to avoid sleeping on your stomach. This is the worst sleeping position for your neck as it causes you to have your head turned to the side for hours at a time. If you’re a long-time stomach sleeper, it can be difficult to change that habit, but you should give it a shot. Try sleeping on your back or side, because either one is better than stomach sleeping.

When in doubt, get checked out

If you’re not sure if your pain is caused by normal strain or an injury, its best to play it safe and get it checked out. That’s because even minor injuries can become more serious if they’re left untreated.

On top of that, the neck is particularly vulnerable to injuries. That’s because it has to be flexible to allow a wide range of motion, but it also has to support the weight of your head. It’s all held up by seven small bones stacked from the top of your shoulders to the base of your skull. Those bones also act as a housing for the spinal cord and arteries that carry blood to your brain.

It is arguably one of the body’s most complicated areas, with the many important nerves, blood vessels, and joints all together in one small space. So you should take good care of it. If you have any suspicion that you’ve been injured, have a professional take a look.

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